Expansion joint



F. P. SMITH. EXPANSION JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1921.

1 427 5 58 I Patented Au. 29, 1922.

' l/V'VENTOR Fmmm A TTORNE Y UNITED STATES FRANCIS P. SMITH, OF RYE, NEW YORK.

EXPANSION JOINT.

Application filed September 14, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANCIS P. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Rye, Westchester County, State of New York, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Expansion Joints, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is particularly designed for use in connection with pavements, reservoir linings and similar structures made up of sections or slabs of concrete or similar material, which materials contract and expand slightly under the influence of variations of temperature at different seasons of the year. Heretofore it has been customary to fill the space between the abutting ends of such sections of concrete pavements with a mass of waterproof, semi-fluid material such as asphalt, but when a crevice so filled is reduced in volumetric capacity by the expansion of the concrete sections forcing the adjacent ends together, part or all of the intervening asphalt is expelled and soon washed, or otherwise carried away by the elements or the traflic. When the crevice is afterwards enlarged by the contraction of the concrete slabs on either side of it, cracks are opened through which water can pass, or sand and gravel enter and fill the crevice, with the result that when the slabs expand next summer their edges are driven against this incompressible foreign matter with such. force that they crack or crush, thus destroying the joint.

I find that this difiicultycan be largely overcome if the upper portion of the expansion space be enlarged somewhat so that when the slabs or sections of the pavement or wall are expanded so that the space between them is reduced to the predetermined minimum the asphalt, or other viscous waterproof filling material, will rise to the level of the pavement, or to the upper edge of the wall, and when the expansion space is enlarged by the maximum contraction of the adjacent sections, said viscous material will still fill a large part of the enlarged expansion space, and all of the crevice below, so that the level of the viscous mass is still near enough to the plane of the surface of the pavement, or to the top of the wall, to serve all the purposes of a satisfactory joint.

Several of the best forms of construction embodying my invention at present known Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 500,476.

to me are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig. l is a vertical cross-section of the simplest form of pavement joint, the sections of said pavement being in their positions of maximum expansion.

Patented Aug. 29,1922.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing these parts'in their positions of maximum contraction and with a strainer plate added in the enlarged space and a cover plate which may be desirable in certain cases.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of modifications in which cover plates are employed.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section @on line 5-5 of Fig. 6 and Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66 of Fig. 5, showing a form of my improved joint for use in the lining walls of reservoirs and in similar structures.

Throughout the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

1 and 2 are two sections or slabs of pavement made of concrete or the like. 3 is the gravel or similar foundation on which they rest. 4 is the expansion space or crevice left between the sections just sufficient to allow them to expand under the influence of highest summer temperature Without producing destructive compression between them. 5 is an enlargement of the upper portion of this space, which, especially in the case where no cover plate is used, preferably has outwardly flaring walls, 19, 19. 6 is a body of asphalt, or waterproof mastic, placed in and filling spaces 4 and 5 when the sections 1 and 2 are in their condition of maximum expansion, and at least sufficient in volume to fill the crevice 4 when the sections are contracted to the highest predetermined extent.

7 is a plate bridging the bottom of space 4 to prevent the foundation material 3 from working up into it. i

8 is a perforated plate which may be placed on the bottom of enlargement 5 and action of flaring walls 19, 19, when the joint contracts if no cover plate is used, and this without producing crushing strains on the sections 1 and 2.

10 is a cover plate (see Fig. 4) with two downwardly projecting ribs 11, 11, which late may be used to bridge over space 5.

hese ribs may extend or have projections extending to the bottom of space 5 so that they will rest on the horizontal faces of the cutaway sections of slab 1 and 2 forming space 5. Plate 10 may rest on angle plates 12, 12 anchored to sections 1 and 2 by bolts 13 13.

16 is a similar cover plate, but with only one rib 11 (see Figs. 2 and 3). In this modification the walls of the enlarged space 5 may be faced with Z-irons, 14, 15, as shown in Fig. 3, the plate 16 being fastened to the upper flange of 14 and having a sliding joint with that of 15, formed by slots 17 in the plate and screws 18, set in the flange 15, as shown in Fig. 8, or the plate may rest directly on, and be attached directly to,

the upper surfaces of the sections 1 and 2 as shown in Fig. 2. In these modifications the entire lower edge of rib 11 should always extend below the lowest level of material 6, so as to be immersed therein and so prevent water getting into the space between 14 and 11 and there freezing. This will leave a relief space into which the viscous mass 6 may rise if water freezes and expands in the space between rib 11 and Z-iron 15, expelling a portion of the viscous material from said last mentioned space.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 6,-I-have there shown sections of reservoir lining walls one of which, 21 has a vertical groove 24 and the otherv of which, 22 has a cooperating tongue 23. The enclosed expansion space left in roove 24, is filled with asphalt 26, which a so fills an enlarged upper space 25, when the joint is contracted. The section line 5---5 also represents. the high-water level in the reservoir and the mass 26 should extend above this when the sections 21 and 22 are contracted to their maximum extent. Thus, there will always bea water-tight packing up to and above the water level at all seasons of the year. 27 is a plate to prevent the foundation material 29, working up into the tongue-and-groove joint and 28 is a cover plate which may be used for the purpose of preventing foreign matter enterin it from above.

aving described my invention I claim:

1. In an expansion joint for concrete avements and similar structures the comhination of two adjacent slabs spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit the maximumpredetermined expansion of said slabs without roducing compression between them, a sultable foundation on which said slabs may slide, and a body of viscous waterproof material located in the space between the adjacent ends of said slabs, the upper adja-' cent edges of said slabs being cut away to form an enlarged space extending partway down the crevice left between the slabs, which enlarged space is of a capacity such that a quantity ofthe viscous material which will fill it, and the crevice below it, when the slabs are in their maximum condition of expansion will also at least fill the said crevice when the same is enlarged by the maximum contraction of said slabs.

2. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a plate located under the lower, adjacent edges of thesaid slabs and wide enough to bridge the space between them when they are in theirmaximumpredetermined state of contraction.

3. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a horizontally extending perforated plate resting in said enlargement, of a width such that it will bridge the crevice below it when the said slabs are in their maximum predetermined condition of contraction and yet not be pinched between the walls of the said enlargement when said Slabs are in their maximum predetermined condition of expansion.

4. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a cover plate for the said enlarged space resting on the upperedges of the said slabs and having a sliding bearing on one of said edges.

5. A structure such. as set forth in claim 1, combined with a cover plate for the said enlarged space resting on the upper edges of the said slats and having a sliding bearing on one of said edges and a rigid fastening on the other.

6. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a cover plate for the said enlarged space resting on the upper edges of the said slabs and having a sliding hearing on one of said edges, said plate having a ownwardly extending rojection adapted to bear on a horizontal cutaway portions of the slabs forming said enlargement.

7. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a cover plate for the said enlarged space restin on-the upper edges of the said slabs and having a sliding bearing on one of said edges, and a pin-and-slot connection therewith,said plate having a downwardly extendingprojection adapted to bear on a horizontal face of oneof the cut ace of. one of the away portions of the slabs formingsaid enlargement.

8. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, combined with a cover plate for the said enlarged space resting on the upper edges of the said slabs and having a sliding bear-.

pacity such that a 9. In an expansion joint for concrete pavements and similar structures the combination of two adjacent slabs spaced apart a distance sufiicient to permit the maximum predetermined expansion ofsaid slabs without an objectionable degree of compression between them, a suitable foundation on which said slabs may slide, and a body of viscous waterproof material located in the space between the adjacent ends of said slabs, the upper adjacent edges of said slabs being cut away to form an enlarged space extending part way 'down the crevice left between the slabs, which enlarged space has outwardly flaring side-walls and is of a caantity of the said viscous material whigh will fillit, and the crevice below it, when the slabs are in their maximum condition of expansion will alsoat least fill the said crevice when the same is enlarged by the maximum contraction of said slabs.

10. In an expansion joint for concrete pavements and similar structures the combination of two adjacent abutting slabs spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit the maximum predetermined expansion of said slabs without producing an objectionable degree of compression between them, a suitable foundation on which said slabs may slide, and a body of viscous waterproof material located in the space between'jthe adjacent ends of said slabs, the upper adjacent edges'of said slabs being cut away to form an enlarged space extending art way down the crevice left between the s abs,'which enlarged space is of a capacity such that a quantity of the said viscous material which willfill it, and the crevice below it, when the slabs are in their maximum condition of expansion will also at least fill the said crevice when the sameis enlarged by the maximum contraction of said slabs, together with a plate located under the lower adjacent edges of said slabs and bridging the space between them, and a cover plate resting on the upper;

edges of the said slabs bridging the said enlarged space between said slabs and having a sliding connection with one ,of them.

11. In an expansion joint for concrete pavements and similar structures, the com- "bination of two adjacent slabs spaced apart said slabs, the upper adjacent edges of said,

slabs being cut away to form an enlarged space extending part way down the crevice left between the slabs, which enlarged s ace is of a capacity such that a quantity 0 the said viscous material which willfill it, and the crevice below it, when the slabs are in their maximum condition of expansion will also at least fill the said crevice when the same is enlarged by the maximum contraction of said slabs, together with a plate located under the'lower adjacent edges of-said slabs and bridging the space between them, and a perforated plate located in the said it. FRANCIS P. SMITH.

enlargement and bridging the crevice below 

